History of Ba Mu Temple in Hoi An

Cam Hai Nhi Cung (meaning ‘Cam Hai Twin Temples’) or Ba Mu Temple in Hoi An was built in 1626 by Chinese people, but later moved to its current location. Although the exact year was not found yet, some historians believe that it’s moved in 1686.

Ba Mu Temple actually comprised a pair of temples, and each had its own entrance. Cam Ha Cung Temple was to the left, used to worship Baosheng Dadi (Chinese God of Medicine), Taishan Laoyun (the Supreme Venerable Sovereign), Xuantian Shangdi (the Black or Mysterious Heavenly Highest Deity) and 36 military generals investitured to gods in Chinese history. The Black Emperor is linked with Chinese and Japanese belief in a water monster which causes flooding in town yearly.

Hai Binh Cung Temple was to the right, used to worship Thien Hau Goddess (Chinese Goddess of Sea) and the Twelve Midwives (generally called Ba Mu). The goddess is the patron saint of all Chinese communities because she blesses safe voyages for merchants and seafarers.

Vietnamese people normally called Cam Ha Cung Temple as ‘Uncle Pagoda’ (Chua Ong Chu) because its main deity as god, and Hai Binh Cung Temple as ‘Midwive Pagoda’ (Chua Ba Mu) because its main deity as goddess. By the way unexplained clearly, ‘Midwive Pagoda’ became a common name for the whole complex in Hoi An, and has been lived up to date.

The name of Cam Hai Twin Temples are combined by first words of its temples, Cam Ha and Hai Binh. Furthermore, the name of Cam Ha Temple is a combination between Cam Pho and Thanh Ha communes because it’s built on their border line.

In 1922, in the reign of Khai Dinh king, Ba Mu Temple was restored (last time in Vietnamese feudal period). This information was mentioned on a memorial stele at Quan Am Pagoda at 13 Nguyen Hue St.  

In 1930, French people added three monuments of Hoi An into Indochina Federation’s typical heritage list, including Ba Mu Temple (French: Pagode de la Maternitéouou Temple), the Japanese Bridge, and the Teochew Assembly Hall. The temple was one of the greatest buildings in town at that time.

During the French and American wars, religious activities at Ba Mu Temple were interrupted. Due to fire and lack of maintenance, it’s heavily damaged and then collapsed. This was a sad event for local communities in which they could not save their ancestor’s cultural heritage. In 1965, a buddhist school was established here. In front of its gate, there was a small camp of the United States army.

Over time, only the entrance gate of Ba Mu Temple remains. All buildings behind it were burnt by fire and destroyed by wars. In 2000, the remaining gate was documented by the local authorities, after Hoi An became a Unesco world heritage site. In 2005, Nguyen Duy Dieu secondary school was built on the ruins of temples. In 2007, Hoi An city invested in research about the gate and two years later, the renovation started. Twenty-four temporary houses were removed to build the park and lotus pond in its front. The cost of the whole project was 6,5 billions Vietnamese dong.

In December 2018, restoration at Ba Mu Temple Gate was done. On 4th December 2018, a ceremony took place here to inaugurate and open it to the public, on occasion of the 19th anniversary of Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage recognition.